Lost to Jacksonville 104-103.
Just the beginning of many NCAA tournament heartbreaking losses.
Just the beginning of many NCAA tournament heartbreaking losses.
50 Years Ago Today
- Thread starter NI hawk
- Start date
Wow!
1970: Jacksonville
For longtime Iowa fans, Jacksonville’s 104-103 Sweet Sixteen win against Iowa in 1970 still feels like a gut punch. That year the Hawkeyes set a Big Ten record — that stands to this day — by averaging 102.9 points a game. They won the league title outright and scored more than 100 points in 14 different games.
Four players averaged more than 17 points a game, including John Johnson at a program-record 27.9. Johnson also set Iowa records for points in a game (49), field goals (289) and points in a season (699).
“Downtown” Freddy Brown, who later joined Johnson as NBA champions in Seattle, posted 27.6 points a game and 268 field goals in 1971. To go along with their scoring prowess, the Hawkeyes had a reputation as the best passing team in college basketball.
Against a team loaded with future NBA players Rex Morgan and Artis Gilmore — who nearly picked Iowa a season earlier — the Hawkeyes forged ahead late by one point. Jacksonville had the ball and guard Vaughn Wedeking heaved up a desperation shot. Forward Pembrook Burrows III grabbed the rebound over Iowa’s Chad Calabria for the putback with two seconds left for the win.
“We were devastated,” said longtime basketball broadcaster Mac McCausland, who played at Iowa from 1964-68 and served as Iowa’s assistant freshman coach that year. “We thought we had a chance to win the national championship. So we go in the locker room and there was not a dry eye, including Ralph and the coaches.”
In those days, losing teams still played consolation games. Two days later Iowa faced Notre Dame and Austin Carr, who scored 61 and 52 points, respectively, in two previous NCAA games. The Hawkeyes rolled up 75 points in the first half and scored 52 field goals — still an NCAA tournament record — in a 121-106 win.
“This is what we were all about for four months,” McCausland said. “We could have been next week playing Bob Lanier and St. Bonaventure and we’d have won that game. Actually, they would have killed UCLA. The offense of that team, UCLA wasn’t quick enough to stay up with the ball and get great shots. I still get teary-eyed thinking about it.”
1970: Jacksonville
For longtime Iowa fans, Jacksonville’s 104-103 Sweet Sixteen win against Iowa in 1970 still feels like a gut punch. That year the Hawkeyes set a Big Ten record — that stands to this day — by averaging 102.9 points a game. They won the league title outright and scored more than 100 points in 14 different games.
Four players averaged more than 17 points a game, including John Johnson at a program-record 27.9. Johnson also set Iowa records for points in a game (49), field goals (289) and points in a season (699).
“Downtown” Freddy Brown, who later joined Johnson as NBA champions in Seattle, posted 27.6 points a game and 268 field goals in 1971. To go along with their scoring prowess, the Hawkeyes had a reputation as the best passing team in college basketball.
Against a team loaded with future NBA players Rex Morgan and Artis Gilmore — who nearly picked Iowa a season earlier — the Hawkeyes forged ahead late by one point. Jacksonville had the ball and guard Vaughn Wedeking heaved up a desperation shot. Forward Pembrook Burrows III grabbed the rebound over Iowa’s Chad Calabria for the putback with two seconds left for the win.
“We were devastated,” said longtime basketball broadcaster Mac McCausland, who played at Iowa from 1964-68 and served as Iowa’s assistant freshman coach that year. “We thought we had a chance to win the national championship. So we go in the locker room and there was not a dry eye, including Ralph and the coaches.”
In those days, losing teams still played consolation games. Two days later Iowa faced Notre Dame and Austin Carr, who scored 61 and 52 points, respectively, in two previous NCAA games. The Hawkeyes rolled up 75 points in the first half and scored 52 field goals — still an NCAA tournament record — in a 121-106 win.
“This is what we were all about for four months,” McCausland said. “We could have been next week playing Bob Lanier and St. Bonaventure and we’d have won that game. Actually, they would have killed UCLA. The offense of that team, UCLA wasn’t quick enough to stay up with the ball and get great shots. I still get teary-eyed thinking about it.”
This is a great read.
1970-Already talked about.
1979-Blew a 12 point halftime lead. Lost on last second shot. Would have put Iowa in sweet 16.
1980-Final Four. Lester gets hurt.
1981-Blew 11 point halftime lead. Got it up to 14. Lost in last minute. Would have put Iowa in sweet 16. On Wichita's St. home court
1982-Lost 69-67 in overtime. Basically a home game for Idaho. Would have put Iowa in sweet 16.
1983-Lost to Villanova 55-54 in sweet 16. Stokes missed a late free throw.
1985-Lost to Arkansas who they had beat earlier. Had a 7 point halftime lead. Team was going no where.
1986-Lost to NC St. 66-64. Marble missed 7 free throws. Would have been a great path to elite 8. Game was in Minneapolis. Lots of Hawk fans. Great time.
1987-UNLV. 18 point lead blown to reach final four.
1988- Sweet 16 team. Lost to Arizona. Coaching mismatch. Olson vs Davis.
1989-Double overtime loss to NC St. Would have put Iowa in sweet 16. Monroe put up 40.
1991 and 1992. Hawks played really well in first round both years. Lost to eventual champs Duke both years in second round. 1991 was played in twin cities.
Fast forward to 2020. No tournament.
Add to that 1970 game, we were 19 - 31 from the free throw line with those shooters...
Agree.Add to that 1970 game, we were 19 - 31 from the free throw line with those shooters...
Great list!
I’ll add
1997. For finishing 2nd in the Big 10, Iowa got a really shitty draw and had to play Kentucky the 2nd game. Iowa was in the game the whole night and down only by 3 with less than a minute to play
"That's the type of team you face in the Final Four," a relieved Pitino said. "They were awesome."
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-03-16-9703160291-story.html
1999 Iowa vs UConn sweet 16
that Iowa team reminds of this years team. Very tough mentally and physically, Jess Settles in his sixth year and Dr. Tom’s last game for Iowa. Really incredible effort against UConn. Super physical/chippy game and again Iowa was in it until almost the end.
Good post. I was tired of typing. 1997 was a bad draw. Iowa handled a good Virginia team easily in first round. Should have been a higher seed.
[QU
Nice list, but 1988? Beat by 20 by a No.1 seed with a number of solid future NBA players on it but Dr. Tom was outcoached? Whatever.
I've been searching for video from that game, but can't find anything. Does anyone here have access to any video from the Jacksonville game? Even the last second tip in by Burrows would be appreciated.
I would like to see the tip again just to confirm he wasn't in the cylinder when he tipped it back in?
I was there and had my heart broken that day. But 50 years from tomorrow and was so proud of that team. They did not hang their heads in shame. They came to play against Notre Dame and their all american player. It was an amazing performance that I will remember the rest of my life. It was also an amazing performance 50 years ago today but the ball bounced the wrong way at the end.
Just a few additions:
1979: Lute's first trip with Iowa to NCAA's. Crushing defeat. Just remember the name Harvey Knuckles.
1981: Lute sends Bobby Hansen to the refs to call a TO we didn't have. Technical Foul. Cost us the game. Olson very defensive after the game.
So many crushing last second defeats on this list. I think I have all of them on VHS tape with the exception of the Jacksonville game.
I can remember exactly where I was at for each of those NCAA losses.
I remember that Las Vegas game as being a late evening game. I actually ran over to a nearby Hy-Vee store at halftime to buy some booze to celebrate. Turns out I used it to commiserate.
Out NBA'd maybe but not out coached. I think we each had 5 NBA picks but Arizona had Steve Kerr, Sean Elliot and Tom Tolbert. In '87 I went to the regional at Tuscon and watched Arizona and Lute blow a 10 point lead with 2 minutes to go, on his home court, to UTEP and Tim Hardaway. Back then the shot clock was 45 seconds and Lute tried the 4 corner milk job which had worked against Georgetown but he killed his own momentum and the game went to OT where they lost. The anticipated Tom Davis - Lute Olson battle would have to wait a year. Unfortunately for Iowa, Steve Kerr returned after an ACL that kept him out in '87. Kerr set an NCAA single season record for 3 point accuracy at 57%. We had graduated Lohaus and Gamble and Arizona was the better team...
Arizona was the better team. Lute was also a better coach. Iowa also suffered a double digit loss to Arizona in 1996 in NCAA tournament.
Lute Olsen's last game at Iowa.....was more of a gut punch then losing the game....
Lute Olsen's last game at Iowa...was more of a gut punch then actually losing the game....
Lute also managed numerous losses to lower seeded teams in the NCAA tourney, including 2 losses to a 13, a loss to a 14 and a 15. Also lost to # 9 Wisconsin as a # 1 seed.
He sure did. When you go to the tournament every year these upsets are going to happen.
